The Adventures of Kinky Reggae: A Vagabond for Beauty

Tonight, as I was laying in Shavasana at the end of yoga, it occurred to me that during the past hour, I hadn't thought about my looming unemployment even once.  And I thought, this is why I love yoga.  This is why I love hiking.  Because, for that short amount of time, all the craziness in my head goes away. And then I realized just how truly f-ed up I am.  Because here's what I AM thinking about during yoga: Please don't come back here, please don't come back here (directed at the instructor) Am I doing this right?  Do I look fat in this pose? Don't look at the mirror, you probably look ridiculous. Is this class going to be too hard for me? Is this class going to be too easy for me?  What if I'm not burning enough calories? What's the girl next to me doing?   What am I supposed to do with my hands? Am I pushing myself too hard?  If it's that uncomfortable, does that mean I'm doing it wrong? Am I not pushing myself enough? Does laying

I'm at a point in the year where I've pretty much given up on trying to get teachers to work with me in a coaching process.  Especially because most of them know I'm not coming back, so what's the point?  And things are winding down for them, too, so they're not really wanting to start anything new with me.  And, of course, there was the whole issue of no one (including me) actually being told what my job was for months, and then there being no expectations from admin on how teachers should use me.  But that's supposed to be the majority of my day.  I only teach for two out of nine periods.  I am bored out of my mind.  Before I leave every day, I make a list of things to do tomorrow.  Today's list said: Copy tests Make silly voices fluency cards Write up detention slips Print a class list Yeah, a half hour into the day, I was done.  So I blog.  I look for jobs.  I try not to feel guilty.  I read journal articles and teaching books and listen to read

After emerging from the bottom of Minnow, we hitched a ride back up to the trailhead with some nice Canadian folks in the back of their pickup.  It was time for ZigZag. This isn't really so much of a canyon as it is a drainage that leads to a 500 foot cliff that you rappel off of.  The hike itself wasn't difficult; it was the dense vegetation that made things difficult.  Here's a picture of my leg after a few hours of battling catclaw in capris.  It was totally worth it, though.   I love this picture because you can tell just how high up we are by looking at Jason's truck down at the bottom.  Me  Me Kristin The only time I got nervous was when Jason and Kristin were setting up the rappel on the ledge.  I could tell they were nervous, and that was getting to me.  But as soon as Jason started down the cliff, I was fine.  Actually, I was having some anxiety, but it had nothing to do with the rappel; I was worrying about his

 The beginning of our hike.  It's called Minnow Canyon because you can do it in three hours.  "A three hour tour..." There was quite a bit of downclimbing in Minnow.  This is a pretty typical scene.  Kristin does lots of partner assists for me since I am so extremely awkward.  The first rappel was into a little cave area.  It was really cool.  That's me on rappel. Kristin on the second rappel. Another partner assist.  I think this is the one where I fell on Kristin. One of the many great things about hiking with Jason is that it's like having a photo shoot in the canyon.  Here's where he asked for my pouty look.  I always feel like I slow people down when I hike, but we finished Minnow in almost exactly 3 hours!  And then, it was on to Zigzag.  

Waterslides The Sequel from Adventures of Poot & Bernie on Vimeo . Here is a link to Brian's (Kristin's friend) video that he made. Can't figure out how to embed it. https://fbcdn-video-a.akamaihd.net/cfs-ak-ash4/v/443259/537/10150607984942014_45456.mp4?oh=3b5ea6b290f3bb78f05b091b97e17ede&oe=4F8DF620&__gda__=1334703648_fd409440ccb37f7dc72035155bf0d00b This is what I did on my first day of spring break in Phoenix. I am the nerd in the lifejacket and the wetsuit with purple sleeves.  I was too scared to go down the slides a million times like everyone else (40 feet up feels HIGH!), but I still had a blast.  Kristin actually had to push me off the last big one.  When I made that request, some people in our group looked slightly appalled, but Kristin knew me well enough to just give me a shove.  I don't think that's the first time she's done that.  The best part of this day (besides having so much fun hiking the canyon) was meeting some reall

With 6 weeks left of school, I decided it was time to get started on this year's list.  I just realized that I've been doing this for 13 years, and oh my, has the content of my lists changed.  Although there are some items that I don't get to that show up year after year. This year, my list is a little less ambitious considering most of my summer will be occupied living like a gypsy in my Subaru.  But I still have a few weeks at the beginning of June, and here's what I'd like to accomplish: 1. Go to a lecture and learn something new. 2. Make out at a drive-in. 3. Batting cages 4. Gangster tour or Devil in the White City tour or Red Light District tour 5. Go tubing 6. Successfully make Rice Krispie treats 7. Go to an observatory and see stars 8. Eat blue sno-cones 9. Ghost hunting 10. Learn guitar 11. Finish reading Pride and Predjudice 12. Go to Ravinia or a concert at Millennium Park 13. Japanese tea garden down by the Museum of Science and Industry

I had 6 lovely ladies come over for a book exchange this Saturday.  At first, it was super awkward as different groups of friends tried to make small talk.  But once I got out my trivia questions, things improved.  Everyone really was there because they love books!  It was great for converstaion.  The winner received a Barnes and Noble gift card.  (I wish I'd gotten my act together sooner; I was going to order Jane Austen paper dolls.)  I also had a ton of desserts, of which people did not eat enough.  There is way too much dessert at my house!  I served lemon bars, turtle brownies, chocolate cupcakes, lemon raspberry cake, cookies (oatmeal scotchies and cake batter cookies), and this Oreo cheesecake dessert.  The book exchange was done like a white elephant exchange.  You could choose to unwrap a new book, or steal someone else's.  I really enjoyed seeing the books people chose to bring.  For example, my friend Anne brought a big book about Marie Antoinette.  I did not kno

This happened back in January, but I lost the cord to my camera and didn't want to blog about it till I could include picutres. I was SO excited to make all types of pancakes.  Unfortunately, the cheap griddle I bought on Black Friday didn't work.  In the midst of all the chaos (too many people in my tiny kitchen trying to help), Stephanie commented, "I think you got your episode of Friends."  And that's exactly how it felt.  Finally, Liz and Tom figured out a way to rig the griddle, and she took over flipping pancakes.  Because Liz is awesome like that. I served red velvet pancakes with a cream cheese glaze, apple cinnamon pancakes, gluten-free pancakes, scones, hashbrown casserole, and of course, beaucoup de mimosas.  Because that's the best part of brunch. Liz making red velvet pancakes Nina and her boyfriend, Adam Nina, Adam, Rachel, and Ben (Stephanie's boyfriend) Me and Liz Rachel and Nina looking adorable Rachel, Nina, m

Oh my goodness.  I've discovered heaven in the form of a cookie, and they were so easy to make!  Thank you, Pinterest.  Hope everyone likes these at my Book Exchange/Tea Party on Saturday! Funfetti Cake Batter Cookies       makes 30-32 1 box vanilla cake mix, 18.25 oz 1 tsp baking powder 2 eggs 1/2 C vegetable oil 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 C color sprinkles Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and baking powder. In a small bowl, mix together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the cake mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the sprinkles. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack. They will be very soft at first.  *Directions say 10, but I baked for 8 minutes, and that was perfect.

Kristin and I both have canyoneering love interests. (Well, mine isn't exactly a love interest. It's more like a I-want-to-make-out-with-him-in-the-back-of-my-Subaru-in-Utah-this-summer interest. I mean, he's a super nice guy, and I'd definitely like to get to know him better, but for now, that's my agenda.) Anyway, I was thinking of all the ways to fall in love in a canyon: He pulls out his first aid kit and tends to your wounds from all the catclaw. While doing a fireman's belay, he looks up at you rappelling down the cliff and thinks, "Damn, that's a fine ass." You wrap your legs around him to go down a natural waterslide together. He helps you zip up your wetsuit, and it's all sensual/slo-mo like in the books and movies. He notices how firm your butt is when you put it on his shoulder during a partner assist. He literally catches you when you fall while downclimbing. He starts to have impure thoughts since he has to look at your crotch t

And this is why I miss Phoenix. (Me, Jenna, and Rachel singing Nelly at Sonic after our tattoos)

Hula hooped with Jenna in her sunny backyard with LMFAO on the stereo. Met her baby, Finnegan Danger. Met my birthfather and his girlfriend. Still processing. He thinks he’s my dad. He’s not. Lunch with Haley at Olive Garden. Read a book to Darion (her son). Dinner at Jodi’s. Listened to the small group ladies talk politics. Tried to absorb as much wisdom and encouragement as possible in those few hours. Their hugs said a million words. Mico puttered around his garden. Rachel expressed her love of Chester Cheetah commercials. Laughed so hard I cried. Two-hour haircut with preggo Kasia. Carmen danced in her car seat on the way to eat the best veggie tacos EVER. Matching tattoos with Rachel- “woman of valor.” Ice cream and Nelly at Sonic. (Video will be posted soon.) Cubs spring training. Beer and junk food (spilled on myself) and sunburn. The Hunger Games with former students. So proud of them. Loved the movie. Heart-to-heart chat with Kristin- how do you define love? Cuddl